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Elephant in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum by Flickr user Don DeBold (CC BY 2.0)

Imagine a museum of the highest caliber. Imagine there being no admission cost. Now imagine that there are almost a couple dozen of them, each specializing in a different topic, all within the same general geographic area, most reachable by public transportation (though hard to park at). That… is the Smithsonian.

I could spend days perusing their collections. In fact, I have. I have always said that my favorite of the museums was the American History museum, but the last time I was in the National Gallery*, I was awestruck.

Art, history, science, culture, diversity, even a fantastic zoo. Seriously. If you like museums at all, take a couple of weeks at least once in your life, and visit the Smithsonian.

Though it isn’t often cheap to take a trip to Washington, D.C., once you are there, the attractions are diverse, quality, and second to none. And, generally, the Smithsonian is free (along with D.C.’s monuments, memorials, and government buildings). The Udvar-Hazy Center (see below) had a parking fee, I think, when I was there, but the attractions in D.C. proper have free admission.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery—The first of two Smithsonian museums showcasing Asian art, this museum has art from ancient times to the present.

Freer Gallery of Art—The second museum housing Asian art, this museum has objects from Neolithic times to the beginning of the 20th century. Oddly, it also houses one of the world’s best collections of art by James McNeill Whistler.

National Zoological Park—This is the national zoo. A world-class zoo, free admission, beautiful scenery. Housing about 2000 animals of 400 different species, about a quarter of which are endangered, this zoo also works hard on education, sustainability, and animal care.

Trilobite from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History by Flickr user Tim Evanson (CC BY-SA 2.0)

National Museum of Natural History—Huge dinosaur skeletons. Gorgeous precious stones. The origins of man. Mammals. Birds. Culture. If the natural sciences are your thing, you must spend a whole day here.

National Portrait Gallery—Somehow I always get this one mixed up with the National Gallery, but this one is part of the Smithsonian and focuses on portraits of people who helped shape our nation.

Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)—Home to the Smithsonian Visitor’s Center, this building was built in 1855 and now offers free wi-fi, along with information on the history and scope of the Smithsonian Institution.

Arts and Industries Building—This building holds the claim of being the first United States National Museum, which opened in 1881. It will be a special events venue as of this year.

The National Gallery of Art*—Divided into the west building (older artwork) and the east building (contemporary artwork), you will lose hours spending time with the likes of Alexander Calder, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, and more.

Just typing these names makes me so antsy to get back to Washington and visit again. No matter how much time I set aside for visiting D.C., it’s never enough.